Strap tightener



G. L. ROCK.

STRAP TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, I920.

I Patented ADI. 25,- 1922.

2 S HEETS-SHEET lf j I 7x I '/I l I I I I I5 I I! I9 I I I II 2:- 1

I l INVENTOR.

TTORIIIEY.

G. L. ROCK.

STRAP TIGHTENER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14; 1920.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 9%

' INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

omrao sures PATENT oFFici-i.

GEORGE L. BOOK, OF WAUKESHA, V7ISClOlQ'SIIltT.

STRAP TIGHTENEB.

Specificationof Letters Patent. t t 2 1922,

Application filed october 14, 1920. Serial No. 416,947.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, GEORGE L. Boox, acitizen of the United States, and residlng at Waukesha, in the county ofWaukesha and 6 State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and ImprovedStrap Tightener, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention consists in means for causing a tightening movement oftwo; ends or laps of a strap, tie or ball of thin metal ribbon in orderto tightly bind the bale, box or bundle around which the bail has beenplaced previously to the locking of these ends together, and its objectisto provide a tightening device which will cause such rela tivemovement between the two ends of a bale strap to any desired'extent andwithout the possibility of either of the ends slipping away from theother so as to again loosen the tie or strap.

This invention consists in combination -with a body and an operatinghandle thereon. of a shoe or plate adapted to engage. the lower side ofthe inner or lower lap of the strap, a pair of operating dogs forengaging the opposite side of the outer lap of the strap. and meansconnecting the handle to these dogs.

It further consists in so constructing the dogs and the operating meanstherefor that the dogs will be in constant engagement with the outer lapof the strap at all times, one

of the dogs being'adapted to move the outer lap forward and then returnfor a fresh bite,

while the other dog revents said lap from moving backward with the firstdog.

- It more specifically consists in adapting both dogs to move the outerlap forward alternately so that while one dog is returning for a freshbite on the lap the other is moving the lap forward.

It also consists'in mounting the operating handle on an eccentric pinprovided with a crank-arm so that when the pin is turned by means of thecrank arm the dogs may be moved toward or from the work.

It also consists in providing resilient means to cause the dogs toconstantly engage the outer lap of the strap whether moving forward orbackward.

It also consists in the details of construe tion illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side. elevation of my improved straptightener. Fig. 2

is an elevation of the opposite side of the head of this device. Fig. 3is a plan of this device with the operatin handle' broken away on theline 3-3 o r Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of this device with the'sidebroken away. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig 1. Fig. 6 is anend view of the eccentr c pin on which the lever is mounted. Fig. is aperspective on a larger scale of a key for locking this pin in position.Fig. 8 is a plan of a strap fastener. Figs. 9 and 10 are perspectives ofa strap fastener before and after being bent to locking position. F g.11is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a perspective of agauge adapted to be attached to the side of this strap tightener, inorder to position it relative to straps of different widths.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

The drawings show the body of this strap tightener comprising a head 1and a handle 2. Extending through the head is a pin 3. shown inelevation in Fig. 5, and consisting of a large end 4, an eccentricportion 5 and a small end 6 coaxial with. the large end 4. The head 1 ofthis tool is chambered and has sides7 and Sin which the ends 4 and 6 ofthis pin are rotatable. Mounted on the eccentric portion 5 of this pinis an operating lever 9 and formed on it adjacent the supporting pin aretwo eccentrics 11 and 12, one above and the other below the pin 3.Between the two sides 7 and 8 of the head and mounted on the eccentrics11 and 12 are two dogs 13 and 14, of which each has a tail 15 extendingrearwardly which is held up by means of one arm 16 of a spring mountedon a cross pin 17 in thehandle 2. These two parts 16 of the spring windaround this pin 17 and the middle portion 18 extends forward asindicated in Fig. 3..

Immediately above the tails 15 of the dogs is a pin 19 which may bedepressed to lift the serrated ends of the dogs upward.

Attached to the lower edge of the side 8 is a plate 21 having a'horizontal portion 22 provided with rearwardly extending ratchet teeth,as indicated in Fig. 4, and inserted in each of the dogs 13 and 14 arethe jaw members 23 which have forwardly extendin ratchet teeth. Theoperation of this device is as follows.

Thin ribbons or straps of metal 25 (Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11) are passedaround the bale, box or other container which is to be secured ointingtoward the freeend of the upper up 26. These jaws 23 are normally held Ytoward the plate 22 and to provide space to ;weakens the cross strips 33betwelen the insert these two thicknesses of the strap 25 the button 19is depressed to swing up these jaws on the dogs sufficiently to permitthe double thickness of the tie to be inserted between the plate 22 andthe dogs. The button 1 5 is then released and the spring arms 16 depressthese j aw members 23 against the upper lap of the strap. The operatinhandle 9 1s then moved back andforth. I ith the forward movement of thishandle the dog 14 is pushed forward and the teeth of its jaw 23 biteinto the upper lap 26 of the strap, Fig. -9, forcing it to the left onthe lower lap 27 which is held from moving with the uper lap by means ofthe teeth in the lower p ate 22. During the forward movement ofthehandle the other dog 13 is moved backwardly through the action of theother eccentric 11 and the teeth of its jaw 23 are sliding back on thisupper lap'26 of the strap. When the handle 9 is moved back, the teeth ofthe jaw 23 of the dog 14 slide back on the lap 26 of the strap, whilethe teeth on the other dog move this lap forward. All of this time thelower lap is prevented from moving at all by means of the plate 22 andthe pressure of the upper dogs thereon.

It will be observed that the movement of i this upper lap on the lowerlap continues at will and care must be taken to prevent the tool fromtearing the strap as there is no limit to the movement which this toolcan give to the upper lap ofthe strap. After the stra has been tightenedsufficiently and before t e tool is released, the tie fastener 29 isflattened down as shown in Fig. 10and in cross section in Fig. 11, afterwhich a;

.. center punch may be used to drive down the metal at the point 30 tolock the strap and.

the fastener together. In Fig. 8 I have shown this strap fastener 29with its slots 28 and also with the central slot 32 which center slot 32and the end slots when the center punch is driven down, and with it themetal of the two thicknesses of ties, and these are forced down into theslot 32. These metal arms will be bent outwardly and firmly grip themetal of the strap and also distort the strap fastener sufiiciently toprevent itbeing used again.

The teeth of the dogs 23 {engage the two laps of the strap 25 so'that itis sometimes difiicult .to lift the dogs 23 from the plate 22'sufficiently to release the two'thicknewes of the strap by means ofthebutton 19. It is 22 is thjen slipped below the.

for this reason that Iform the pin 3 with an eccentric 5 and with anarm; 35 which is normally held in the ition shown in Fig. 2 byithe' pri36. en the teeth of the aws 23 are d' ult to disengage, the arm 35 1sswung up which lifts the operating handle 9 and with it the dogs 13 and14. The arm 35 normally rests against the pin 37 The pin 3 is held inposition by the slidable key 38 which lies in a groove in the plate 21between the shoulders 39 and 40 thereon. This key has a flat head 42which is adapted to enter the groove 44 in this pin. The .plate 21 abutsagainst a shoulder 43 on the head 1 and is held in position by the twolugs 45 thereon.

The width of the straps usually employed vary from three eighths tothree quarters of an inch, and in order to fit the present device tooperate on these several widths, I provide a ide such as shown in Fig.12, of which t e body 46 fits between the lugs 45 on the head and thefingers 47 extend at each end of the foot 22. When positioned asindicated in Fig. 5, the inner ends of the fingers are adjacent the dog14. The guide is held in posltion by the screw 48, beneath whose head isa washer 49 one sixteenth inch thick, which may be placed between thebody 46 of the guide and the side plate 21 of the tool to position theends of these fingers 47 that distance from the dog 14, and fit the toolfor straps one eighth inch wider than before. For wider straps the guideis omitted.

In order to limit the movement of the handle 9 within the practicalworking range of the eccentrics 11 and 12, I provide the body with theshoulders 51 and 52, a ainst which the handle will strike before t eeccentrics pass the line of work. The several details of constructionmay all be changed by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

of a body and a shoe thereon adapted to extend under the lower lap ofthe strap and having ratchet teeth-to. prevent rearward movement ofsaidlower' lap, a pair of jaws adapted to engage the upper lap of thestrap and having ratchet teethextending in the opposite directionfromthose on the plate, and means to move said jaws forward alternately toslidethe upper lap of the strap on the lower- 1 '3. In a strap tihten'er,the combination of means to prevent ackward movement of the.said means embodying a dog havlng a toothed jaw to operatively en agethe upper lap while moving forward an to slide thereon whilemovingbackward, and means to prevent the upper lap frommoving rear-.ward with said dog.

4. In a strap tightener, the combination of means to prevent backwardmovement of the lower lap of a strap, and means for moving the upper lapof the strap forward step-by step, said means consisting of a pair ofdogs each having toothed jaws to operatively engage the upper lap whilemoving forward and to slide back on said lap'while the other dog ismoving forward.

5. In a strap tightener, the combination of means to prevent backwardmovement ofthe lower lap of a strap, means for moving the upper lap ofthe strap forward step by step, said means consisting of a pair of dogseach having toothed jaws to operatively engage the upper lap whilemoving forward and to slide back-on said lap while the other dog ismoving forward, and a dogs, one of the dogs engaging above the pivot ofsaid handle and the other below said pivot.

6. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,one above and the otherbelow the pivot of the handle, a shoe on the bodyadapted to extend below the lower lap of the strap to be tightened, adog mounted intermediate its ends oneach eccentric, and resilient meansto press the forward ends of the dogs toward said plate so as to engagethe upper lap of the strap as the operating handle is moved back andforth.

7. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,one above and the other below the pivot of the handle, a shoe on thebody adapted to extend below the lower lap of the strap to be tightened,a dog mounted intermediate its ends on each eccentric, resilient meansto press the forward ends of the dogs toward said plate so as to engagethe upper lap of the strap as the operating handle is moved back andforth, and jaws mounted in the forward ends of said dogs and havingforwardly extending ratchet teeth.

pivotally mounted operating handle engaging said means to press theforward ends of the dogs toward said plate so as to engage the upper lapof the strap asthe operating handle is moved back and "forth, jawsmounted in the forward ends of said dogs and having for wardly extendingratchet teeth, the pivot for said operating handle being eccentricallymounted in said head, and means to turn the pivot to'move the jaws onthe dogs away from said plate.

9. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,one above and the other below the pivot of the handle, a shoe on thebody adapted toextend below the lower lap of the strap to be tightened,a dog mounted intermediate its ends on each eccentric, resilient meansto press the forward ends of the dogs toward said plate so as to engagethe upper lap of the strap as the operating handle is moved back andforth, and means to engage the rear ends of said dogs to swing the dogson said eccentrics to lift the front ends of the dogs from said plate topermit insertion of the laps of the strap.

10. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,oneabove and the other below the pivot of the handle, a shoe 6n the bodyadapted to extend below the lower lap of the strap to be tightened andhaving rearwardly directed ratchet teeth, .a dog mounted intermediateits ends on each eccentric, and resilient means to press the forwardends of the dogs toward said plate so as to engage the upper lap of thestrap as the operating handle is moved back and forth comprising aspring mounted in the body and engaging the rear ends of said dogs, andmeans mounted on the body to engage the edge of the strap to positionsaid dogs relative thereto.

11. 'In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and a shoe thereonadapted to extend under the lower lap of the strap, and

a plurality of jaws adapted to engage the upper lap of the strap, andmeans to move said jaws forward and backward to cause tighteningmovementof the strap.

12. In a strap tightener, the combination of a head, a plate thereon tosupport overlapping portions of a strap, a handle movably mounted on thehead, and a pair of engaging members operatively connected to the handleand adapted to engage one of the laps of the strap adjacent said plate,one of said members moving the engaged lap for ward on the other lapwhile the other engaging member slides backward on the moving la 13. Ina strap tightener, the combination ofa head, a plate thereon to supportoverlapping portions of a strap, a handle movably mounted on the head,and a pair of engaging members operatively connected to the handle andadapted to engage one of the laps of the strap adjacent said plate, oneof said members moving one lap forward on the other while the handlemoves in one direction and sliding backward on said lap when the handlemoves in the opposite direction, the second member preventing backwardmovement of said lap when the first member moves backwardly.

14. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and .a shoe thereonadapted to extend under the lower lap of the strap, a plurality of jawsadapted to engage the upper lap of the strap, and means to move saldjaws forward alternately, saidplate havlng ratchet teeth to preventmovement of the lower lap with the upper lap.

15. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and a shoe thereonadapted to extend under the lower lap of the strap, a plurality of jawsadapted to engage the upper lap of the strap, means to move said jawsforward alternately, and ad ustable means to position the strap relativeto the jaws.

16. In a strap tightener, the combination of .a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,one above and the other below the pivot of the handle, a dog mountedintermediate its ends on each eccentric and adapted to engage the strapto be tightened, and means to limit the swinging movement of theoperating handle within the practical work ing range of the eccentrics.

17. In a strap tlghtener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,the center of one eccentric being on one side and the center of theother eccentric being on the opposite side of the pivotal line of thehandle, .a shoe carried by the body and adapted to extend under thelower lap of the strap to be tightened, anda jaw operatively connectedto each eccentric and adapted to be moved forward and backward therebyin engagement with the upper lap of the strap.

18. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,the center of one eccentric be-.

ing on one side and the center of the other eccentric being on theopposite side of the pivotal line of the handle, a shoe carried by thebody and adapted to extend under the lower lap of the strap to betightened, and a jaw operatively connected to each eccentric and adaptedto be moved forward and backward thereby in enga ement with the upperlap of the strap, sai dogs having ratchet teeth to engage the strap, andsprings to hold these teeth against the strap.

19. In a strap tightener, the combination of a body and an operatinghandle pivotally mounted therein and having an eccentric on each side,the center of one eccentric being on one side and the center of theother eccentric being on the opposite side of the pivotal

